Clean Energy Collective

Heating and cooling are not “nice-to-haves” in most areas of the U.S. – they are a necessity. However, this basic need creates a disproportionate burden on low-income families. Statistics vary on how much low-income families typically spend on their energy bills, but it’s in the range of 6-20 percent of their annual income, much higher than the national average of 3 percent.

The sizable up-front cost of solar has long been a challenging hurdle. So has rooftop siting –roofs are often shaded, in the wrong orientation, not owned by the people who live there, or otherwise unable to host a solar system. What if we could overcome both of these obstacles with one solution—one local solution? A Colorado credit union and solar company might have figured this out.

Three new community-owned solar PV facilities have gone online in Colorado this week. There are now 10 shared utility-scale arrays operating in the state. In addition, Clean Energy Collective (CEC) has an additional 10 facilities, representing nearly 5 MW, are in development.